GOLD - Gigabits Over the Legacy Drop
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Ericsson AB - EAB/TLG |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 583 146 |
| Project duration | April 2015 - December 2017 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Eureka cluster co-funding |
Purpose and goal
There were several focus points for the project: To continue the work on a second version of the G.fast standard. To boost the usability of G.fast towards dense city areas. To ensure that G.fast becomes a market success by spreading know-how about where and how to deploy in the most optimal (economical) manner, and where to select what type of backhauling and powering option. GOLD reached all goals fulfilling the vision in the former projects 4GBB and HFCC.
Expected results and effects
G.fast carries broadband services in the gigabit range. The technology is the latest in the series ADSL-VDSL-G.fast and represents the closest step to fiber-to-the-home. The standard helps to keep European telecom-industry world-leading, enabling new broadband offerings, with ultra-fast and cost-effective services for European households and businesses. The project led to a whole series of new products for fixed broadband networks and the knowledge created within the project has generated new solutions in related areas, such as mobile broadband networks.
Planned approach and implementation
The focus of the trilogy of projects was standardization and the main tool was writing standardization contribution. GOLD alone produced about 500 contributions to ITU-T, ETSI, and BBF. The projects served both as platforms for technical collaboration, in order to deal with problems and obstacles to progress the standards, and platforms for coordination of work related to the standards. The total amount of resources and effort influenced by the project was much larger than the projects’ modest budgets. Many of the projects’ partners were self-funded.